An explosion of color and texture, the Dots study the conceptual dynamics of additive and subtractive processes.

These works are intuitively developed so that the appearance of each finished piece is revealed rather than tightly planned. All Dots begin as a round, wooden-backed styrofoam core. The foam is then carved into a domed shape. Multiple layers of fiber-reinforced plaster strengthen the foam structure. Once the form is solid, the process of addition and subtraction begins.

Dozens of layers of color-tinted plaster cover the surface, each sanded smooth between coats. Surface irregularities become integral to the shapes and visual texture of each finished piece.

More plaster, more colors, and more sanding allow each Dot to gradually take on a formal presence of its own. High spots from lower layers announce themselves after repeated sanding, asking the viewer to contemplate addition and subtraction as a metaphor for the evolution of mental, emotional, and physical states.

In the final stages of each piece, the Dots become not perfect, but complete. The surface is protected by repetitively polished varnish. The disparity of visual and actual texture juxtaposes a superficially inviting surface with a more turbulent interior, offering a record of accumulation and loss.